Titanium Scales - Long Term Wear on Different Textures/Finishes?

[Chronovore]

With the recent discussion on blade finishes, I'm wondering about titanium scales. How do different textures or finishes hold up with long-term wear?

For instance, how does the anodization look over time with a stone-washed finish versus orange peel, or fancier textures like the Kinetic Earth or Rain from Olamic? How do different finishes hold up to scratches or abrasion?

Obviously, feel free to post pics if you have well-worn examples you'd like to share.

 

[LimpCroissant]

In for the awesome pics I hope to see! Personally I love the look of bead blasted Ti scales when they get the worn edges from sliding in and out of the pocket and what not. Nothing quite like it. The only problem with the bead blasted finish is it shows scratches like crazy and they don't look as graceful to me. Stonewashinging is nice too because it hides scratches very well. Honestly I've kind of always stayed away from anodized Ti scales because I've thought that they wouldn't age well aesthetically, but they probably look a lot better than I think with some use.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I don't mind the wear marks on my Sebbie 21, they add character. (Come to think of it, I have a few wear marks, too, though I'm not sure I can claim they add character.)

 

[Zookie]

It really ranges a lot between different companies and the way the do their finishing.

I have knives with stonewash finish that hide marks extremely well, and then other knives with the same finish but from a different companies that mark up easily even though its stonewashed.

 

[LimpCroissant]

It really ranges a lot between different companies and the way the do their finishing.

I have knives with stonewash finish that hide marks extremely well, and then other knives with the same finish but from a different companies that mark up easily even though its stonewashed.

Yup, that's very true. I've had the same experience. On my knives, the ones that are bead blasted rougher with a darker color and then stonewashed, those ones have shown scratches more than the ones that have a nice semi polished base which is then stonewashed.

I really wish I had my own bead blaster again so I could quickly and easily refinish my metal (ti, aluminum, stainless) handles myself. I used to have a little bead blaster gun that I'd hook up to my air compressor. I'd bead blast my pocket clips, handles and what not and it came out really nice. It wasnt anything fancy, I got it at harbor freight, but it worked pretty well.

 

[K.O.D.]

Ano will dull but can be "freshened" with ammonia/windex type stuff. Thus far, other than the color dulling, I've noticed very little damage to the ano treatment.

Its been a few months since I bothered to do the ammonia treatment, but it originally looked like this:

https://imgur.com/pByn956

I carry it quite often, love the knife, and the colors are very faded right now:

https://imgur.com/Zhtcf8r

Guess I'll have to shine it up tomorrow.

 

[Knives&Lint]

I don't have much experience with elaborate anodizing like entropic or anything, and I have no expertise on the subject whatsoever, but in my experience Ti anodizing in general holds up very well. As mentioned above, it will dull with use, but it is my understanding is that this is not necessarily wear on the finish but rather oils and residue interfering with the refraction/reflection of light off of the surface, which is the reason you see colors from anodizing in the first place. Also as mentioned, Windex works wonders in this regard.

Here is my Hinderer Jurassic with "Battle Bronze" finish. I've carried this knife plenty, and the wear you can see on the clip is from actually scraping across rocks and boulders while in pocket.

Here is an another example that may provide some insight. My Sebenza, on which I put a bronze ano myself on the factory finish, and then afterwards stonewashed.

 

[tiguy7]

These were anodized years ago.View attachment 1746903

 

[Mr.sig239]

This knife and light combo have been in my pocket daily for at least 2 years or more. Not as sure on the light as I have carried others before it.:
View attachment 1746915

 

[brownshoe]

I have a sebenza with an anodized graphic. The finish sux, scratches easily, anodization wears quickly. Plastic seatbelt holder scratched within 3 hours of purcjase. CRK will refurbish the unanodized side but won't refurbish the graphic.

Not so theTi finish on a William Henry Tracker or CRKT Eros which still look great after years of use.

Forgot to add I have Buck Mayo with Ti sides and it's still great after many years of pretty hard use

 

[tiguy7]

I have a sebenza with an anodized graphic. The finish sux, scratches easily, anodization wears quickly. Plastic seatbelt holder scratched within 3 hours of purcjase. CRK will refurbish the unanodized side but won't refurbish the graphic.

Not so theTi finish on a William Henry Tracker or CRKT Eros which still look great after years of use.

Forgot to add I have Buck Mayo with Ti sides and it's still great after many years of pretty hard use

The knife in post 8 is a William Henry B-15 Tracker. I added a pocket clip, a Damascus blade, Gold plated hardware, jeweled buttons, and an anodize job.

 

[glassjawTX]

...

Here is an another example that may provide some insight. My Sebenza, on which I put a bronze ano myself on the factory finish, and then afterwards stonewashed.

Oh my that distressed ano job you did looks excellent. Nice work!